Knife for cutting corn



(No Model.)

J. W. GALEP.

' KNIFE FOR GUTTING CORN, &c.

No. 407,571. Patented July 23, 1889.

WITNESSES E1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH W. OALEF, OF NORTH EASTON, ASSIGNOR TO \VILLIAM T. ANDREWS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

KNIFE FOR CUTTING CORN, 840.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 407,571, dated July 23, 1889.

Application filed November 2, 1885. Renewed June 1, 1888. Serial No. 275,690.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, JOSEPH IV. OALEF, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of North Easton, in the county of Bristol and 5 State of Massachusetts, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Handles for Knives for Cutting Corn, &c.; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective View of my improved knife. Fig. 2 is a similar View of the handle of the same, on an enlarged scale, to show the twist of the handle; and Fig. 3 is a similar View illustrating a modified construction of the twisted handle.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

WVhile my invention relates -more particularly to knives for cutting cornstalks, it is ap- 2 5 plicable also to many otherpurposessuch as pruning trees and hedgeswhere it is desired to use considerable power in manipulating the same; and it consists in the construction of the handle, substantially as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, A denotes the blade of the knife, which may be of any desired shape. For cutting cornstalks, I prefer to make it curved or sickle-shaped, as

shown in the drawings. Made in one piece with the knife-blade, or else suitably fastened to the same, is a metal rod B, of suitable length and thickness, the upper end of which is bent at right angles and turned to form a circle 0,

forming an armhole of such a size that a mans arm may readily be inserted through it up to the elbow.

The rod B is bent or twisted about midway of its length to form an oblongloop or hand- 5 hold D, which forms a convenient grip for the hand after the arm has been inserted through the circle 0 at the upper end of the device. This loop or grip has two shoulders or offsets E E, bearing against each other in (No model.)

such a manner that they will mutually support each other and yet give a certain amount of spring or elasticity to the lower part of the rod to which the blade is affixed. I have found in practice that it is desirable to have this spring or give at that point, as it permits the knife-blade to yield a little in cutting the cornstalk as the sharp edge of theknife passes through the hard membrane or bark with which the stalk is surrounded.

Where, for any reason, it is desired to make the rod rigid, the loop or grip D is connected to the red by twisting the rod a number of times upon itself, as shown at F in Fig. 3, in which case the loop is flattened, so as to form the T-shaped grip G, which should be turned at a convenient angle for holding it with the hand after the arm has been inserted through the circle.

It will be observed that the handle with its grip and arm circle is made all in one piece, thus reducing the cost of manufacture, and at the same time increasing the strength and durability of the device as a whole.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the 7 United States l. A handle for corn-knives and other purposes, consisting of a metallic rod bent at its upper end to form an armhole at right angles to the handle and twisted about midway of its length to form a grip or hand-hold projecting laterally from the handle below the armhole, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A corn-knife consisting of a metal rod bent at its upper end to form an armhole at right angles to the handle and twisted about midway of its length to form a loop projecting laterally from the handle below the armhole, and a blade at. the lower end of the rod, sub- 0 stantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

J OSEPH W. CALEF. \Vitnesses:

PERCIVAL J. PARRIS, W. H. ODWYER. 

